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Tory MP Patrick Spencer on Trial Over Alleged Groping at Groucho Club

CCTV plus witness testimony shown to jurors will be key to whether the jury finds the contact non‑consensual or the defence’s claim of minimal, mistaken contact.

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Overview

  • Patrick Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, denies two counts of sexual assault after two women accused him of groping their breasts at the Groucho Club on August 12, 2023.
  • Prosecutors have played club CCTV and called witnesses who say the footage and accounts show Spencer coming up behind the women and placing his hands on their breasts.
  • The defence accepts overfamiliar behaviour but says the footage shows only minimal or mistaken contact and argues Spencer did not intentionally touch the women’s breasts.
  • The venue’s staffer identified Spencer by reviewing CCTV and matching the footage to the Groucho sign‑in book and a Parliament profile image, evidence now central to the case.
  • The trial is underway at Southwark Crown Court and will determine criminal liability and further political consequences after police delays in identifying the suspect and taking formal statements were highlighted in court.